A round up of today's other stories in brief.
Judge sets date for Laide reporting case
An application to restrict media coverage concerning Dermot Laide in the run up to his manslaughter trial on April 24th has been made by the DPP.
Mr Laide (23), Rossvale, Castleblayney, Co Monaghan, has pleaded not guilty to unlawfully killing teenager Brian Murphy outside the Burlington Hotel on August 31st, 2000.
The date for hearing has been set for November 17th and will be heard before Judge Frank O'Donnell.
Jury told of rape by father
A north Co Dublin woman is to tell a Central Criminal Court jury that she was raped by her father on the morning of the day she made her First Holy Communion.
The 58-year-old man has pleaded not guilty to one charge of raping his daughter, 18, of indecently assaulting her and nine of sexually assaulting her on dates between 1985 and 1994.
Paddy McCarthy SC (with Sinead McGrath), prosecuting, told the jury of five women and seven men that the prosecution alleges the accused sexually abused his now 25-year-old daughter "on a regular and daily basis" from the time she was just five years old.
The hearing continues in legal argument before Mr Justice Henry Abbott.
Garda gets bail on assault charge
A Donegal garda has been granted bail following a charge of assault against his former partner.
He was arrested on Sunday afternoon and held in custody in Letterkenny Garda station overnight.
Brian McSharry (35) who is stationed in Killybegs Garda station, appeared before Ballyshannon District Court yesterday .
The assault is alleged to have taken place at his home in Bruckless, Co Donegal, at 6am on Sunday.
He was remanded on bail of €1,000 to reappear at Ballyshannon District Court on January 6th.
Community service for assault
A student who was found guilty of sexually assaulting a teenager two years ago has been ordered to do 240 hours of community service in lieu of a 12-months jail term.
Passing sentence at Trim Circuit Court yesterday Judge John O'Hagan said that young people who go out and drink and lose self control must accept the consequences.
The accused, who was 18 at the time of the offence, had been drinking and was part of an extended group including the victim, that socialised together.
He had pleaded not guilty but earlier this year the jury found him guilty of sexually assaulting the girl on November 16th, 2003.
Boy asks to be held in custody
A 15-year-old boy, whose life has spiralled out of control through drug abuse, was yesterday remanded in custody at his own request.
The teenager had once been a sporting enthusiast but since he started taking drugs he has been repeatedly getting arrested and wanted to be held in custody for an assessment, the Dublin Children's Court heard yesterday. Judge Murphy remanded him in custody to Oberstown Boys' Centre for a week for an educational and psychological assessment.
Work starts on Kinsalebeg road project
Minister for Transport Martin Cullen yesterday turned the sod on a road project designed to eliminate a significant bottleneck on the N25 Waterford to Cork route.
The Kinsalebeg road project is a 2.6km single carriageway road between Piltown Cross, east of Youghal, and Ticknock in Co Waterford.
US assurances on Shannon airport
Minister for Foreign Affairs Dermot Ahern said yesterday that he fully accepted US government assurances that it had never secretly transported suspected terrorists through Shannon airport.
Mr Ahern also said that the Government would not set up any new mechanisms to investigate US flights stopping off at the airport.
"When I get an assurance from the US then I accept that," said Mr Ahern.
"The US is not some rogue state."
€7,500 in damages for detective
A carpenter who punched a Garda detective sergeant in the mouth was ordered by a judge yesterday to pay him €7,500 damages.
The Circuit Civil Court heard that Damien Gilsen had tried to butt Det Sgt Paul Doran in the face and also attempted to knee him in the groin.
Det Sgt Doran said Gilsen had been prosecuted in the District Court for assault where he had pleaded guilty and had offered a public apology.
Judge Alison Lindsay awarded Det Sgt Doran €7,500 in damages and costs.
Concern over disability grants
The National Disability Authority has expressed concern that over €17 million in grants for people with disabilities was not disbursed in 2004.
"NDA is concerned that a similar situation must not happen this year.
"It is simply not acceptable that such money would not be disbursed to address the needs of people with disabilities in having their homes adapted so that they can continue to live independently within their community," the organisation said.
"NDA has learned that local authorities were advised by the Minister for the Environment in August of this year to review expenditure under this grant scheme in order to facilitate the reallocation of funding to other local authorities to meet identified demands.
"While NDA welcomes this development, we are concerned of the need to have the review of this grant scheme finalised and to take account of the need for standardisation in the assessment and allocation of funds."
EU eases BSE rules on UK cattle
Cattle aged over 30 months in Northern Ireland and Britain are being allowed into the food chain again following an easing by the EU of the rules covering BSE, writes Seán Mac Connell.
Since 1996, all animals over 30 months had to be slaughtered and their carcasses destroyed in an effort to stop the spread of vCJD.
The so called OTM rule will still apply to cattle born before August 1st, 1996, and all animals over 30 months going for human consumption will have to test negative for BSE.
BSE was first identified in Northern Ireland in 1988.
Since then 2,149 cases have been confirmed, of which more than 80 per cent were detected before 2000.